Tesla Model S Misses Top Safety Pick+ In Latest Crash Test

You would think Tesla’s electric vehicles are among the safest in the world. The ...

You would think Tesla’s electric vehicles are among the safest in the world. The Model X was recently awarded the five-star safety rating in the every category from the NHTSA, making it the only SUV to receive the top rating from the government organization.

It was the similar story for the Model S, and which was hailed as the safest vehicle the NHTSA had ever tested. The Insurance Institute for the Highway Safety disagrees, however.

New crash tests carried out by this independent organization revealed that the Model S may not be as safe as the Tesla claims.

Back in February, the Tesla Model S received the acceptable safety rating in a small overlap front crash test, which simulates the crash between the object and the front corner of the vehicle, because the seat belt didn’t stop the dummy’s head from slamming into a steering wheel. Tesla has since improved the seat belts, is expected to be awarded the Top Safety Pick+.

Despite the changes, the Tesla Model S still received the overall acceptable rating as a same problem happened when the IIHS re-evaluated the EV in the two separate crash tests.

Furthermore, in a second crash test maximum intrusion into driver’s space increased from two to 11 inches in a lower part of the cabin.

The corner of a battery case was also damaged, and it wasn’t in the area that contained battery cells.

Tesla argued that the IIHS has the methods and motivations that suit their own subjective purposes, that it considered the US government to be the most objective and accurate organization to test the car’s safety. Still, it is not ideal publicity as the Model 3 is about to enter production.

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